Alumni News

Greg Miller, B.A.'06, M.S.Ed.'08: Following His Life's Path

March 26, 2012 by Lisa M. McMahon, MA'09

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Gregory Miller, B.A.'06, M.S.Ed.'08, has faced numerous obstacles in his life. The death of his older brother, Curtis, in 1993; the loss of his job; career changes; a diagnosis of kidney cancer in 2006. But he says these situations have taught him a valuable lesson: “When life knocks you off your path, challenge yourself to get back on your path as soon as possible.”

It's clear that Greg has taken this knowledge to heart. He returned to school to pursue a job in law enforcement after being laid off from his job at DuPont, where he had worked for 14 years, but discovered that the field did not offer many opportunities for a man his age. So he decided to study political science at Niagara University in the hope of becoming an attorney, but again, personal and family circumstances caused him to change his life path. Encouraged by his wife, Sunitha, he applied for admission into NU's master's degree program in education, and was not only accepted, but also received a full-tuition scholarship for the program.

Greg graduated in 2008 and says, “I will never forget the sense of pride I felt after graduating from NU.”

Today, he is a building base substitute at the Niagara Charter School and hopes to find a full-time position in education at the elementary or higher education level. He also aspires to some day become a school administrator. In the meantime, he finds great satisfaction in his current job because it enables him to help others succeed. His passion for the work, along with the “relentless” work ethic his parents instilled in him, has served him well, and guide him every day as he continues to pursue his professional dreams.

“I enjoy helping students build their educational foundation,” he says. “Not only do I get to help students learn, but I get to help students learn how to learn. I take great pride in being able to help shape the future through education.”